Learning Contexts that Affect Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

This paper focuses on how international students improve their language proficiency by interacting with the local community when they enter the host country. In other words, what factors influence learners’ motivation when learning a second language. Although there have been many studies on study abroad and second language acquisition (SLA), none of them have specifically considered the sociolinguistic impact of the target country on SLA. Given this gap, the research question that will be posed in this paper is to find the factors that influence language learners’ oral and communicative competence during their study in the host country. Therefore, this paper will consider the extent to which learners’ oral competence improves after study abroad (SA) with their daily interactions with the local culture, and the results indicate that the impact on learners’ motivation to learn a second language is categorized into four areas. Its findings bridge the gap in this area.